…Either Way You Choose

The Circumcision Decision is the only unbiased exploration of the important question of whether to circumcise your son or leave his foreskin intact. With a highly readable approach and reliable information, it guides parents through the full range of issues to help them make a decision that is best for their newborn son.

SECURE CHECKOUT with PayPal.
Purchase is direct from publisher. All orders ship within 24 hours.
You will receive a confirmation email with a download link for your eBook.

How This Book is Unique

It explores the benfits of both sides of the issue.
The authors of most websites, blogs and books try hard to persuade you of their position. In contrast, this book presents all the issues and gives you everything you need to know to make your own informed decision whether to circumcise your son or to leave his foreskin intact.

It goes beyond the decision.
If you decide to circumcise, it helps you understand what you need to know about circumcisers, pain relief, protective shields, and more. If you decide to leave your son intact, it gives you valuable information for taking care of your son’s foreskin.

It’s the best parenting book about circumcision.
All the information in this book has been carefully reviewed and edited by leading experts in their field, including professors and doctors from Columbia University, Case Western Reserve, The Cleveland Clinic, Duke and the like. It also won a national award for the BEST parenting book of the year.

See Inside This Book

What’s Everyone Saying?

“In the best tradition of Our Bodies, Ourselves, Terkel and Greenberg have provided a beautifully balanced, evidence-based resource for parents and others thinking about the whole issue of male circumcision. The authors make clear that from a purely ‘health risks and benefits’ perspective, it is eminently reasonable for a parent to decide either way about circumcision. And they articulate well the various non-medical issues that can arise in making this highly-charged decision for our male children.”

– Judy Norsigian, founder/director of Our Bodies Ourselves

“Outside of an often violent and condescending blogosphere, where the circumcision topic gets caught between overzealous extremist perspectives, Terkel and Greenberg provide a safe place for the hot topic to land. With grace, wisdom, and class, The Circumcision Decision impressively presents both sides of the story in such a balanced narrative, that some of us who have already made up our minds beforehand may now find ourselves challenged by the flip side.”

– Nick Shell, official blogger of Parents.com The Dadabase

“The Circumcision Decision takes an honest, balanced and human approach to the subject of circumcision to truly help a parent make a personal decision. It covers all the issues, weights all the facts and even discusses all a parent’s doubts. It is by far the best treatment of the subject I have seen yet.”

“To circumcise or not? If you’re expecting a boy, you will confront that question. For some parents, the decision is easy: they will…or they won’t. But for those on the fence, The Circumcision Decision is a wonderful resource that strips away the hype and noise around this hot-button issue to focus on the cold, hard facts. Authors Susan Terkel and Lorna Greenberg present the procedure’s pros and cons, risks and benefits—and the scientific evidence behind each choice—in an even-handed way. Without cheerleading or scare tactics, they provide fascinating details about circumcision’s Biblical roots, chart the ebb and flow of its acceptance through history and examine the issue from every angle—religious, cultural, medical, sexual and moral. Their intent is not to sway parents one way or the other, but to provide information for parents to make their own right decision.”

“This book is an excellent resource for parents and health care providers to open the circumcision discussion.”

– Melissa Hines Bock, FNP, nurse practitioner and childbirth educator

Awards

WINNER, 17th Annual Books for a Better Life Awards (Childcare/Parenting)
The winners were announced Monday, March 11, 2013, at the annual awards ceremony in New York City, sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and hosted by TV personality Meredith Viera.

The Awards recognize self-improvement authors whose messages are aligned with the chapter’s mission of inspiring people to live their best lives.

A Note from the Authors

We wrote this book about the circumcision decision for several reasons. The main reason was that an unbiased guide for parents didn’t exist! Yes, there are a number of books about circumcision. But each one tries to persuade readers.

Because we as authors have each spent decades researching and writing books about complex social, medical and ethical issues, we decided to write a book about this issue, and to make the book evenhanded, unbiased but thoroughly researched.

Purchase It Here

The Circumcision Decision: An Unbiased Guide for Parents
by Susan Terkel and Lorna Greenberg

Susan Terkel is the author of numerous books about medical and social issues, including Feeling Safe, Feeling Strong (one of the earliest books about child sexual abuse) and Finding Your Way, a book that explains ethics for teens. Her book People Power was on the American Bookseller Association’s “Pick of the List,” and Ethics was selected as Hungry Mind Review’s “Editor’s Choice,” and recommended reading by Parents Magazine. Colonial American Medicine was selected for Science Books and Film’s “Best Children’s Books” list. She has written two books about drug policy: the first earned starred reviews; the second was selected for the American Library Association’s “100 Books a College-Bound Student Should Read.” Recently, she coauthored Small Change, which was selected a finalist for Books for a Better Life Award, and featured in USA Today.

Ms. Terkel is a graduate of Cornell University, where she studied Child Development and Family Relationships. She also studied Social Work at Case Western Reserve University. In addition to writing, she is an artist, wife, mother and grandmother.

Lorna Greenberg is a long-time book editor. She has originated and directed a wide range of projects, including books on brain damage, a teen health dictionary, kids and guns, women in the Middle East, a study of creativity, a history of jazz, and numerous biographies of historical figures. She is the author of AIDS: How It Works in the Body, which was selected for Science Books and Film’s “Best Children’s Books” list. She coauthored Digging into the Past: Pioneers of Archeology and coauthored The Circumcision Decision with Susan Terkel, after editing a number of her previous books.

After graduating from the University of Rochester, Ms. Greenberg earned an M.A. from New York University’s Graduate Institute of Book Publishing. She is a wife, mother and grandmother. She has worked for numerous publishers, and edited hundreds of books. She works as a freelance editor, writer and consultant, specializing in non-fiction.

The intent of this website is to provide accurate information to help parents make informed judgments for themselves and their families. The authors are not medical professionals, are not providing medical advice, and suggest here, and throughout the site, that readers discuss any medical decision with their medical advisers. The authors and publisher shall not be liable or responsible for loss or damage allegedly arising from information, opinions or suggestions on this website.